Khabib Nurmagomedov hopes rival Connor McGregor can turn things around
The last time Khabib Nurmagomedov spoke about Conor McGregor publicly, the sentiment was clear: “It will never be finished.”
Now, six years removed from their legendary, and deeply personal, UFC 229 bout, the undefeated former champion has flipped the script. Speaking in New York over the weekend, Khabib didn’t threaten. He didn’t insult. He didn’t even bring up their brutal clash in the Octagon.
Instead, he offered something that might be even more shocking: compassion.
“He has to change how he is living,” Khabib said. “If he's going to change, he can change with him so many other lives, too. That's why I wish [he would] change himself.”
It’s a staggering shift for a man who once vowed to throw hands with McGregor anytime, anywhere. But as Khabib made clear, this wasn’t about forgiveness. It was about a window of mercy before permanent consequences.
“If he's not going to change, it will be punishment all his life.”
A rivalry that became war
Long before fists flew in the cage, Khabib and Conor's beef boiled into one of the most volatile feuds in MMA history. It started with jabs about injuries and pullouts. Then it escalated.
In April 2018, McGregor, enraged by Khabib’s hotel confrontation with teammate Artem Lobov, flew to New York and attacked a fighter bus—one carrying Khabib—by hurling a dolly through its window. Fighters were injured. Lawsuits followed. Dana White called it the most “disgusting” moment in UFC history.
And then came UFC 229. October 6, 2018. The hype was nuclear. The fight itself? Lopsided. Khabib dominated, submitting McGregor in the fourth round. But what followed cemented its infamy: Khabib leapt from the cage and attacked McGregor’s corner, triggering a melee that left the sport gasping.
For years after, the wounds festered. McGregor insulted Khabib’s family, religion, and late father. Khabib, for his part, refused to even consider a rematch.
The path to peace?
What’s changed?
Perhaps it’s perspective. Khabib retired unbeaten in 2020 and has spent his post-fighting years rooted in faith, family, and coaching. McGregor’s path, meanwhile, has spiraled: legal troubles, injuries, and civil suits—including a 2024 sexual assault case. He hasn’t fought since 2021, going just 1-2 since the loss to "The Eagle".
Now, Khabib sees McGregor not as a nemesis—but as a man in need of direction.
“Allah always gives the chance to come back,” he said. “This is punishment, [but] the most beautiful part of this is Allah always give the chance to come back.”
It's not approval. It’s not friendship. But it is an invitation—if McGregor wants it.
For the Dagestani icon who once declared eternal war, this might be the most stunning plot twist yet: offering his fiercest rival a shot at redemption.
Because sometimes, even in MMA’s bloodiest sagas, change is the most powerful submission of all.